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abigailbat's review
1.0
What the... what?
I was so excited about this book, but now I'm just... confused. Michael K, new kid in school, gets stuck sitting with two very weird also-new kids in his fifth grade class. They keep telling him they're aliens (Spaceheadz, actually) and that they have to get 3.14 million people to become SPHDZ or the Earth will be turned off. Their only knowledge of the Earth is from commercials and television, so that's their frame of reference.
I can get on board with the wacky. That's not my thing, really, but I know some kids go gaga for it. My problem is that it feels like half a story. And I know that it's the first book in a series, but... nothing really happened. We met the characters. They had some hijinx. And then it ended. There's no real urgency, "turning the Earth off" is never explained. I don't even really get what SPHDZ is (is it just shorthand for "Spaceheadz"?).
Kids may still read it - it's got a good cover and an interesting premise and maybe they'll laugh at all the toilet paper, pickle phones, and head injuries. But I'm still just saying "What the... what?"
**Important to note is that I'm reviewing from an ARC without the final artwork. Maybe the art will help me understand it?**
I was so excited about this book, but now I'm just... confused. Michael K, new kid in school, gets stuck sitting with two very weird also-new kids in his fifth grade class. They keep telling him they're aliens (Spaceheadz, actually) and that they have to get 3.14 million people to become SPHDZ or the Earth will be turned off. Their only knowledge of the Earth is from commercials and television, so that's their frame of reference.
I can get on board with the wacky. That's not my thing, really, but I know some kids go gaga for it. My problem is that it feels like half a story. And I know that it's the first book in a series, but... nothing really happened. We met the characters. They had some hijinx. And then it ended. There's no real urgency, "turning the Earth off" is never explained. I don't even really get what SPHDZ is (is it just shorthand for "Spaceheadz"?).
Kids may still read it - it's got a good cover and an interesting premise and maybe they'll laugh at all the toilet paper, pickle phones, and head injuries. But I'm still just saying "What the... what?"
**Important to note is that I'm reviewing from an ARC without the final artwork. Maybe the art will help me understand it?**
ubalstecha's review
3.0
Jon Scieszka is a children's publishing legend. The former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, he is also the author The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Stinky Cheese Man and the Time Warp Trio, to name a few. He is also the creator of the Trucktown series for pre-school boys. Scieszka has been a one man band when it comes to getting boys to read.
SPHDZ is this the latest edition to his stable of funny, often silly and ridiculous, yet entertaining literature for boys. This book tells the story of Matthew whose first day at his new school turns bizarre when he is adopted by two other new kids who seem to talk in advertising and TV slogans. They also tell him they are aliens who are here to save the earth. Matthew just wants to sit somewhere else.
A funny book that will appeal to the boy with a sense of humour.
SPHDZ is this the latest edition to his stable of funny, often silly and ridiculous, yet entertaining literature for boys. This book tells the story of Matthew whose first day at his new school turns bizarre when he is adopted by two other new kids who seem to talk in advertising and TV slogans. They also tell him they are aliens who are here to save the earth. Matthew just wants to sit somewhere else.
A funny book that will appeal to the boy with a sense of humour.
ubalstecha's review against another edition
3.0
Michael K. is having an interesting Grade 5 year. He has started at a new school and was immediately teamed up with two other new students. To say they are a little wierd would be an understatement. They are, in fact, aliens who have been sent to earth to prevent our destruction, and they have recruited Michael K. to help.
In book two, Micheal has recruited his friends TJ and Venus to help him with the project. They agree to do this, while dealing with a kindergarten play and advancing AAA agents. Can they hit the target set by the aliens to avoid destruction?
Jon Scieszka is in prime silly form with this book. His prime audience, primary boys, will love the silliness of this book. Scieszka has also laid out the threads for the plot continuing in a third book. Fun for the late primary/early junior reader in your life.
In book two, Micheal has recruited his friends TJ and Venus to help him with the project. They agree to do this, while dealing with a kindergarten play and advancing AAA agents. Can they hit the target set by the aliens to avoid destruction?
Jon Scieszka is in prime silly form with this book. His prime audience, primary boys, will love the silliness of this book. Scieszka has also laid out the threads for the plot continuing in a third book. Fun for the late primary/early junior reader in your life.
ki4eva's review against another edition
3.0
Cute book. You will be laughing throughout the entire book. If you liked the Wimpy Kid series or the dork diaries, you will like this book.
librarylisa's review
3.0
Such a boy read (true to Scieszka)... it was kind of funny, but I wasn't as into it as I had hoped. I may pick up the second just to see if it moves anywhere interesting.
greenbeanteenqueen's review
4.0
the Book:
The perfect combination of the age old experience of holding and pouring
over a physical book with newest media technology that kids love!
Michael K. just started fifth grade at a new school. As if that wasn't hard
enough, the kids he seems to have made friends with apparently aren't kids
at all. They are aliens. Real aliens who have invaded our planet in the form
of school children and a hamster. They have a mission to complete: to
convince 3,140,001 kids to BE SPHDZ. But with a hamster as their leader,
"kids" who talk like walking advertisements, and Michael K as their first
convert, will the SPHDZ be able to keep their cover and pull off their
assignment?
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I am a longtime Jon Szieszka fan, so I was excited to check out Spaceheadz. And this new series does not disappoint. There's plenty of the trademark humor that fans will expect and many laugh out loud moments.
The aliens in Spaceheadz have been feeding off the airwaves from Earth, meaning they think all of our commercials, jingles and ads are real. They use these slogans in everyday conversation which rarely make any sense and lead to very funny situations.
Agent Umber is the agency assigned from the anti-alien agency to track down the alien signal. But Agency Umber is so far down on the agent list, his phone is a pickle. He's pretty bumbling and he's slow to figure out what's going on, which I'm sure will leave readers laughing.
Spaceheadz also is an interactive series, with websites mentioned in the book being online and ready for readers to explore. There are also tons of illustrations that fill the pages, so there are lots of great hooks to pull in even the most reluctant reader. Fans of The Time Warp Trio series will love it. The humor is perfect for tweens and parents and would make a great read aloud or a read alone. Give this one to the hard to please tween and they'll be sure to enjoy it.
The perfect combination of the age old experience of holding and pouring
over a physical book with newest media technology that kids love!
Michael K. just started fifth grade at a new school. As if that wasn't hard
enough, the kids he seems to have made friends with apparently aren't kids
at all. They are aliens. Real aliens who have invaded our planet in the form
of school children and a hamster. They have a mission to complete: to
convince 3,140,001 kids to BE SPHDZ. But with a hamster as their leader,
"kids" who talk like walking advertisements, and Michael K as their first
convert, will the SPHDZ be able to keep their cover and pull off their
assignment?
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I am a longtime Jon Szieszka fan, so I was excited to check out Spaceheadz. And this new series does not disappoint. There's plenty of the trademark humor that fans will expect and many laugh out loud moments.
The aliens in Spaceheadz have been feeding off the airwaves from Earth, meaning they think all of our commercials, jingles and ads are real. They use these slogans in everyday conversation which rarely make any sense and lead to very funny situations.
Agent Umber is the agency assigned from the anti-alien agency to track down the alien signal. But Agency Umber is so far down on the agent list, his phone is a pickle. He's pretty bumbling and he's slow to figure out what's going on, which I'm sure will leave readers laughing.
Spaceheadz also is an interactive series, with websites mentioned in the book being online and ready for readers to explore. There are also tons of illustrations that fill the pages, so there are lots of great hooks to pull in even the most reluctant reader. Fans of The Time Warp Trio series will love it. The humor is perfect for tweens and parents and would make a great read aloud or a read alone. Give this one to the hard to please tween and they'll be sure to enjoy it.
kendallbridgete's review
2.0
In a word: DUMB.
The ONLY reason that this book isn't getting one star from me is that I do think some kids will enjoy it. I know it's the first in a series, so maybe some of the plot questions I have are answered in sequels--but they will remain a mystery to me because this is NOT a series I will be continuing.
I really enjoy Jon Scieszka (in fact, I just recently fell hard for his autobiography, "Knucklehead"), but this was absolutely NOT a book for me.
The ONLY reason that this book isn't getting one star from me is that I do think some kids will enjoy it. I know it's the first in a series, so maybe some of the plot questions I have are answered in sequels--but they will remain a mystery to me because this is NOT a series I will be continuing.
I really enjoy Jon Scieszka (in fact, I just recently fell hard for his autobiography, "Knucklehead"), but this was absolutely NOT a book for me.
isnotacrayon's review against another edition
2.0
Eh. I can certainly see the appeal for kids, especially reluctant readers, but it does not transfer to adults.
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